Billboard Hot 100: 04/15/2023

[Gary]

With 80+ years of music charts - not sure credibility is much of an issue.

Billboard has historically reacted to market changes by adjusting methodologies, just not always in real time.

[badrobot]

Apr 11, 2023 14:41:00 GMT -5 mms82 said:

Apr 11, 2023 12:48:02 GMT -5 badrobot said:

I advocate for making the Hot 100 a "minutes listened" chart. Remove sales entirely. Add the total audience impressions + total streams (and bring back UGC as part of the total streams so tiktok/reels/etc are included). The only "weighting" should just be by how many minutes a song was heard (so, for example, maybe 10-15 short clips on social media would end up being as much weight as one full listen of a song).

Then you'd just have one easily comparable number for each song. So, maybe "Flowers" was listened to for 500m minutes while another song had 459m minutes, etc. It would also make it far easier to compare each song's performance over time rather than using the abstract of "points" which are constantly recalibrated anyway.

interesting idea, but then you'd have artists game the system with really long songs as opposed to songs being shorter like they are now. Taylor Swift songs would be like Anti-Hero (10 Minute Version) and BTS would have a Butter (24 Hour Remix) to help stans game the system

While that would be funny for a hot second I think that would be more annoying lol. while we all recognize Billboard needs to make changes, there is no "perfect" system that isn't manipulatable

I don't think this would actually have much impact on the song length -- because in your examples, if someone wants to game things that way, the stans would still have the same impact. Looping a 10-minute song all day would end up with the exact same impact as looping a 3-minute song all day. There's literally no way to fit more streams in a given time period.

[iHype.]

Billboard is too reactive instead of proactive these days.

It was clear at the end of 2020 that sales needed to be weighed down and something had to be done with regulating webstore sales in general. Dynamite, Savage Love, and Life Goes on had already had those mass buying sales by the end of 2020.

I guess Billboard was too afraid of seeming bias/against BTS by immediately stopping it.

They let it continue for years before finally being sensible and guess what? Those fans still having meltdowns and trending that Billboard is biased and did it to specifically stop them. 😂 Let it be a lesson. Stans are not to be reasoned with. 

[mms82]

Apr 11, 2023 14:59:38 GMT -5 badrobot said:

Apr 11, 2023 14:41:00 GMT -5 mms82 said:

interesting idea, but then you'd have artists game the system with really long songs as opposed to songs being shorter like they are now. Taylor Swift songs would be like Anti-Hero (10 Minute Version) and BTS would have a Butter (24 Hour Remix) to help stans game the system

While that would be funny for a hot second I think that would be more annoying lol. while we all recognize Billboard needs to make changes, there is no "perfect" system that isn't manipulatable

I don't think this would actually have much impact on the song length -- because in your examples, if someone wants to game things that way, the stans would still have the same impact. Looping a 10-minute song all day would end up with the exact same impact as looping a 3-minute song all day. There's literally no way to fit more streams in a given time period.

Billboard filters streams if you listen to the same song on loop - search any BTS song on Spotify and you’ll find playlists that maximize the amount of times you can stream the song without getting a streams filtered. changing to minutes and not changing the on loop rule would incentivize longer songs, a 24 hour song played once gets 1440 minutes of streams, a 2 minute song that gets its streams filtered played for 24 hours straight would get 10 minutes of streams

[kindofbiased]

Billboard clearly can't make even the smallest changes without being accused of discriminating against BTS so I think they should just say fuck it and make big changes to their formula. If they're slowly & quietly changing the way they calculate sales to avoid outrage from stans it's obviously not working

[woods]

Apr 11, 2023 12:48:02 GMT -5 badrobot said:

I advocate for making the Hot 100 a "minutes listened" chart. Remove sales entirely. Add the total audience impressions + total streams (and bring back UGC as part of the total streams so tiktok/reels/etc are included). The only "weighting" should just be by how many minutes a song was heard (so, for example, maybe 10-15 short clips on social media would end up being as much weight as one full listen of a song).

Then you'd just have one easily comparable number for each song. So, maybe "Flowers" was listened to for 500m minutes while another song had 459m minutes, etc. It would also make it far easier to compare each song's performance over time rather than using the abstract of "points" which are constantly recalibrated anyway.

Wouldn't radio make up most of the minutes listened though? #1 on radio has 105.8 million audience, #1 on Spotify has only 1.9 million streams.

Edit: 12.6* million for #1 on Spotify. I forgot that the radio figure reflects the last 7 days.

[thatpolishboy]

Apr 11, 2023 12:08:22 GMT -5 TakeMe said:

Like Crazy sonically has all the makings of a no.1 hit in this era of music.
I say this as someone of this generation with 0 interest in K Pop music at all.

I guess I just don’t understand how Jimin fans going out of there way to buy the album is any different than TS fans streaming the hell outta Mid just to flood the top 10 with a bunch of forgettable songs and Anti Hero. Can anyone make sense of this for me? What’s the balance when your songs selling, it’s streams aren’t far behind other songs in the top 10/20???? Why is radio held so much? Songs paid to be played constantly so it forces you to “like” it or think “it deserves to be a hit”.
Literally only thing keeping the most of top 40 from collapsing is radio!!! The sales and streams are WEAK!

Let's not compare a forgettable kpop song getting nr.1 on SALES to a complete top 10 overtake on streaming alone *clown emoji*

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

[bonicap]

Apr 11, 2023 12:08:22 GMT -5 TakeMe said:

Like Crazy sonically has all the makings of a no.1 hit in this era of music.
I say this as someone of this generation with 0 interest in K Pop music at all.

I guess I just don’t understand how Jimin fans going out of there way to buy the album is any different than TS fans streaming the hell outta Mid just to flood the top 10 with a bunch of forgettable songs and Anti Hero. Can anyone make sense of this for me? What’s the balance when your songs selling, it’s streams aren’t far behind other songs in the top 10/20???? Why is radio held so much? Songs paid to be played constantly so it forces you to “like” it or think “it deserves to be a hit”.
Literally only thing keeping the most of top 40 from collapsing is radio!!! The sales and streams are WEAK!

Streams are already filtered to guarantee that they are more or less organic and not fraudulent. Those unforgettable tracks were the most popular songs in the US that week because they were new, as you could see in their Spotify and Apple Music placements. Nobody is deleting Jimin's or BTS's sales, they are just filtering them in a similar way they do with the streams.

Playlisting and radio deals can be considered manipulation too, but at least they make a song go popular. Website and iTunes sales are just a bunch of fans inflating the numbers within their own bubble, they are not making the song more known in any way.

[Push The Button]

Apr 11, 2023 11:46:21 GMT -5 sheardbeard said:

Apr 10, 2023 23:28:51 GMT -5 Gary said:

I have an iTunes playlist of every hot 100 number one ever. Including all the Bts songs.

So do I, in chronological order, starting with Ricky Nelson’s “Poor Little Fool”.

Same! I love updating it on Mondays. 😂

[Gary]

I also have one that is 5000+ deep that encompasses all top 10 songs, that one took a little longer to put together LOL

[mms82]

Apr 11, 2023 22:05:31 GMT -5 Gary said:

I also have one that is 5000+ deep that encompasses all top 10 songs, that one took a little longer to put together LOL

any ones you particularly struggled to find?

[JukeboxJacob]

I swear I'm not playing devil's advocate here. All the anger at the BTS standom is justified, & up to this point their stuff's been mediocre pop music at best IMO. But Like Crazy is actually pretty good (and Set Me Free P2). I'm rooting for it to stick around without the fraudulence

[JukeboxJacob]

what's causing this Peso Pluma phenomenon? Just hearing the song snippets in the countdown videos, it's a very unique style

[JukeboxJacob]

Apr 11, 2023 12:48:02 GMT -5 badrobot said:

I advocate for making the Hot 100 a "minutes listened" chart. Remove sales entirely. Add the total audience impressions + total streams (and bring back UGC as part of the total streams so tiktok/reels/etc are included). The only "weighting" should just be by how many minutes a song was heard (so, for example, maybe 10-15 short clips on social media would end up being as much weight as one full listen of a song).

Then you'd just have one easily comparable number for each song. So, maybe "Flowers" was listened to for 500m minutes while another song had 459m minutes, etc. It would also make it far easier to compare each song's performance over time rather than using the abstract of "points" which are constantly recalibrated anyway.

genius. This should be the future of the Hot 100

[Baby Yoda Hot100Fan]

Apr 11, 2023 22:31:44 GMT -5 JukeboxJacob said:

what's causing this Peso Pluma phenomenon? Just hearing the song snippets in the countdown videos, it's a very unique style

Since you asked ...

What’s Behind Peso Pluma’s Hot 100 Takeover?

4/11/2023

By Griselda Flores, Jason Lipshutz, Isabela Raygoza, Jessica Roiz, Andrew Unterberger 

If you don’t yet know the name Peso Pluma, now would be a good time to start learning. The rising Mexican corridos singer-songwriter, who had little Billboard chart history to speak of prior to 2023, notches a stunning five separate songs on the Hot 100 this week — all without so much as a debut album to his credit.

The burgeoning 23-year-old star can be found on the April 15 chart at No. 17 (“Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado), No. 26 (“La Bebe” with Yng Lvcas), No. 63 (“AMG” with Gabito Ballesteros and Natanael Cano), No. 64 (“PRC” with Natanael Cano) and No. 65 (the solo “Por Las Noches”). What’s more, he also lands just outside the Hot 100 this week with two more releases: “El Azul” alongside Junior H and “Igualito a Mi Apá” with Fuerza Regida.

How did Peso Pluma become such a prolific hitmaker? And how big might he still get from here? Billboard staffers answer these questions and more below.

1. Despite having no Billboard Hot 100 history before this year, Peso Pluma notches five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 this week — behind only Morgan Wallen (and tied with SZA and Luke Combs) for the most of any artist. On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you at how big he’s gotten this quickly?

Griselda Flores: It’s an 8 for me. I’m surprised because Peso Pluma is relatively a new artist. But looking at the bigger picture, Peso Pluma’s takeover reflects the growth that Mexican music has been experiencing over the past few years. We’ve been reporting a ton about how the genre has experienced a renaissance of some sort thanks to a new generation of singer-songwriters, such as Natanael Cano, Junior H and Eslabon Armado. In comes Peso with an unmatched swag and confidence, and he’s collaborating with all the young acts that came before him (including the three I just mentioned), plus artists that aren’t regional Mexican, including Ovy on the Drums and Nicki Nicole. It’s a strategy we hadn’t seen before. Typically, these acts stick to their genre for collaborations at the beginning of their career and don’t start collaborating with artists outside of their genre until much later. For Peso, it’s all happening at the same time and that only boosts his presence in every single space.

Jason Lipshutz: A 9. The difference between a promising new artist and a surefire new star is often an issue of quantity: instead of having one song bubble up to the mainstream, multiple tracks coalesce around an intriguing voice being invested in by the general public. As a regional Mexican performer with modern production flourishes and dalliances with reggaeton, Peso Pluma’s sound and approach are refreshing — but most new artists simply can’t score five simultaneous Hot 100 entries! The sheer number of chart hits Peso Pluma currently boasts suggests that he’s not just enjoying a fruitful moment, but about to join the A-list of popular music.

Isabela Raygoza: 4. It’s very impressive! But I’m not super surprised because there are several artists that have helped position the new corridos scene for the next superstar to take over. It was just a matter of, “who will step up to the plate (and kill it) for this sound we’ve helped build the foundation for?” Artists like Eslabon Armado, Natanael Cano, and Junior H have been paving the way for a few years now (remember, only a few years ago even Bad Bunny was still relatively unknown in the mainstream). Plus, Peso Pluma has collaborated with most of these acts, which boosted his level of exposure. Also keep in mind that we’ve also seen a variety of artists within the “corridos urbanos” landscape achieve similar success, like Chino Pacas, who landed at No. 84 for the first time two weeks ago, so this is certainly a start of a bigger movement booming.

Jessica Roiz: 10 (and then some!): To be frank, I wasn’t too aware of who Peso Pluma was until recently — otherwise, I would have suggested him for our “23 Latin Artists to Watch in 2023” list. Nonetheless, for an emerging artist who dropped his debut single in the midst of the pandemic, his growth is indeed surprising — but doesn’t come as a shocker (if that makes any sense). He has a relatable personality, a mature mentality, and signature raspy vocals that have all played a big factor into his success.

Andrew Unterberger: At least a nine. We just don’t see artists from pretty much any genre blow up this widely this quickly — especially with one single at a time, without even an album to collect them all — and we certainly don’t see it from the regional Mexican music world (which, again, had never even launched a single Hot 100 hit before two years ago). Times and tides are changing quickly, and Peso Pluma is here and ready to ride the wave. 

2. What do you attribute the speed of Peso Pluma’s rise to? How is he already at the stage where seemingly any song he’s on becomes an automatic breakout hit?

Griselda Flores: Definitely collaborations inside and outside of the genre. His early collaborations with Natanael Cano and Luis R. Conriquez were key to his rise. Both Cano and Conriquez have very different audiences — Cano is more urban-leaning while Conriquez is a bonafide corridos exponent — so Pluma was introduced to those different audiences at once. He’s sticking to that formula with his new collaborations — most recently Becky G and Blessd.

Jason Lipshutz: Simply put, Peso Pluma does not sound like any other artist in popular Spanish-language music: he operates primarily in regional Mexican, but his voice is malleable, he can succeed on his own as well as with other artists, and none of his hits have flashy marketing rollouts or viral-primed hooks. He’s just a singular presence as a singer and rapper, his voice capable of achieving a cool grittiness but also navigating light, hummable melodies. And because his success can be chalked up to an overall presence instead of a single-song flash point, I’d expect him to be around for a while.

Jessica Roiz: It’s evident that Pluma has a very distinct style and that he was able to secure collabs with acts such as Luis R. Conriquez so early on in his career. But I think what ultimately got him on the radar was when he was taken under Natanael Cano’s wings, with whom he dropped “AMG” (alonside newcomer Gabito Ballesteros) and “PRC.” After that, it was just a domino effect, where even artists outside the Música Mexicana realm (Nicki Nicole, Becky G, Ovy on the Drums, Blessd) wanted to work with him.

Isabela Raygoza: Let’s face it, we’ve been bitten by the Peso Pluma bug, and we foresee no immediate cure. JK! The kid has it — the cool swagger, a unique vocal registry, the attitude, and his unflinching lyrics. He chooses wisely who he collaborates with, and that’s also helping elevate his star. Just a few weeks ago, he killed it alongside Becky G — the Inglewood singer is now stepping into singing corridos urbanos! (She has an album underway that’ll focus specifically on this genre, and that says a lot about the rise of the rugged, acoustic cross-border sound.) We needed a poster boy and Peso Pluma is filling that role with gusto.

Andrew Unterberger: I’d be lying if I said I totally understood what was going on here yet. I like the songs and he seems like a cool guy, but the speed and trajectory of his popularity growth is not something I’d be able to explain convincingly to someone who’d never heard of him. I’m definitely intrigued enough that I look forward to getting to know and understand him better, though — as both an artist and as a rising pop star.

3. Of the five tracks he’s currently charting on the Hot 100, do any of them seem like a more obvious hit than the others? Do you expect any one of them to keep growing and take him to the next level?

Griselda Flores: I think all will keep growing for sure but the obvious hit to me is “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado. It’s the song I like the most because I’m also a big fan of Eslabon Armado but out of all his collaborators, Eslabon is the act that has had the most chart presence. The sierreño band made history last year when their album Nostalgia became the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. It’s two powerhouses coming together so it’ll be tough to beat. This week, it hits No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs — the first leader for both Peso and Eslabon.

Jason Lipshutz: The obvious answer is “Ella Baila Sola” given its chart movement and streaming numbers, but I’m still bullish on “La Bebe,” a reggaetón change-up for Peso Pluma that’s gentle yet overpowering. As we approach the summertime, “La Bebe” sounds ready to chew up a whole lot of beach-playlist minutes, for both Peso Pluma fans as well as casual listeners entranced by its two-step thump.

Isabela Raygoza: “AMG” is proving to have lasting power with 11 weeks on the Hot 100, and anything with a Natanael Cano credit is bound to be great — Cano is a pioneer of corridos tumbados and has an unmatched ear for identifying new acts to work with. “Ella Baila Sola” comes in hard with a fiery guitar melody that instantly captivates from start to finish, and the vocal interplay between Peso and Eslabon Armando sounds seamless; the horns at the end are the icing on the cake. I don’t think we can predict which of the batch will make the Greatest Latin Songs of All Time list at this stage, but they sure are shaking things up in the scene right now.

Jessica Roiz: “AMG” holds a special place for the artist, especially after telling Billboard that this is the first song one should listen to to “know all about Peso Pluma” — I think this single and “PRC” are the most representative of his craft. “Por Las Noches” is a beautiful song that’s laced with Nicki’s soft, dulcet vocals, and “La Bebe” finds Peso on an infectious reggaetón track — one that’s currently all the rage on social media. However, I think that if being No. 1 song on the Hot Latin Songs chart this week is any indication, the Eslabon Armado-assisted “Ella Baila Sola” is the most notable of the bunch and will only continue to grow.

Andrew Unterberger: The clipped trumpets and woozy trombones of “PRC” definitely make it my favorite song of Peso Pluma’s so far — but it does seem like “Ella Baila Sola” is the right song at the right time (with the right collaborators) to take him to the next level. Probably won’t be long until the next song comes along to take him to the level above that, either.

4. Regional Mexican has obviously had a major chart breakthrough over the past two years — and one that only seems to keep growing — but despite its crossover success, it has yet to really punctuate mainstream awareness for most of the United States. Do you think Peso Pluma is that kind of Bad Bunny-type artist who might be able to get the genre to that level of unavoidable visibility?

Griselda Flores: That’s a really tough question. I think Peso Pluma has a lot of potential and he’s already taken the genre to another level with his chart success. I think the next few months will be telling for Peso Pluma. I don’t think he’s peaked yet and I’m excited to see what else he can do. He’s definitely up for the challenge, as he told Billboard for his Latin Artist on the Rise interview.

Jason Lipshutz: It’s hard to compare any artist to Bad Bunny and the effect he’s had on the visibility of Spanish-language music in North America and around the world, but I do think regional Mexican is about to gain a lot more listeners thanks to Peso Pluma, placing an exclamation point on a fruitful years-long run for the genre. While it may be reductive to describe a 23-year-old as the new face of a time-honored sound, his stardom will absolutely unlock more regional Mexican music for those who are curious and willing to do a deep dive — and hopefully, produce even more crossover stars from that world over the next few years.

Isabela Raygoza: It’s too early to tell. One telltale sign for Bunny — besides his chart-topping success early in his career — was that he was able to sell-out arenas across the United States in 2019, which became a dead giveaway of his ever-expanding draw, especially when he continued growing that momentum year after year. We know Peso Pluma has a fervent fanbase online, but can that translate to physical massive appeal? He recently announced his first national tour slated for this summer. If he’s able to sell out the bigger cities, then I think that’ll indicate a new moment for his career and his star power on a wider scale. It’s also a matter of how prolific he’ll continue to be. (Remember, Bunny dropped three albums in 2020.)

Jessica Roiz: Bad Bunny is an entire force to be reckoned with, and I believe Peso Pluma is following the correct steps by collaborating with renowned and emerging artists just like Bunny did at the beginning of his career. But I think it’s too soon to say. What I do feel is that there’s a refreshing wave of very innovative Mexican artists who, collectively, have pushed forward the Música Mexicana movement: Grupo Frontera, Fuerza Regida, Yahritza y Su Esencia, Ivan Cornejo, DannyLux, Victor Cibrian and Peso, to name just a few.

Andrew Unterberger: The early evidence certainly suggests it, doesn’t it? It took Bad Bunny years to get to the commercial level that Peso Pluma has gotten to in a couple of months — and while some of that is timing and circumstance, you can practically the see the cracks in the dam getting bigger and bigger with each new hit of his. It might not be bursting just yet, but it ain’t likely holding out for too much longer either.

5. If you were working on Peso Pluma’s team right now as he had all the momentum in the world, what would you be advising him to do with his career in order to properly take advantage of it?

Griselda Flores: For starters, keep collaborating. I think that’s been major for Peso. He’s already touring so that’ll definitely boost him even more. I guess I would say his next move should be to drop an album. The last set he released was Efectos Secundarios in 2021 so I think to take advantage of this momentum and to gain more streams, it’s time for an album.

Jason Lipshutz: Keep releasing new music! Peso Pluma is on such a hot streak right now that seemingly everything he releases becomes a crossover hit with nine-figure streams. Although he’s building for the long haul, artists rarely go on this type of heater — so supply enough material to meet sky-high demand, and enjoy the moment.

Isabela Raygoza: Stay focused, ignore online bullying, stay away from drugs (or as much as possible). Take time for you. Fame can be fleeting, so always stay in the present and keep envisioning a greater future to continue manifesting. Your life might never go back to what it was, but I advise you to always keep your feet on the ground and thank those who got you there, your team, your fans, your supporters.

Jessica Roiz: TIKTOK! Almost all of the tracks he’s released are going viral on the app. He boasts nearly two million followers, yet only has a few posts. I think it’s crucial for him to be more active on the app and connect with fans by reacting to videos, doing the dance trends, and whatnot.

Andrew Unterberger: Slow down and start thinking about an album. People may tell you 2023 pop is a singles’ market, but the way you build a real career as a hitmaker is by establishing yourself as an albums artist; just ask Benito himself, who could go the rest of his career without another conventional Hit Single and still run the game with his LP releases. Get one of those under his belt — without shortcutting the process or compromising his artistry — and you can be damn sure the world will stand up and take notice.

[JukeboxJacob]

Apr 11, 2023 23:05:33 GMT -5 Baby Yoda Hot100Fan said:

Apr 11, 2023 22:31:44 GMT -5 JukeboxJacob said:

what's causing this Peso Pluma phenomenon? Just hearing the song snippets in the countdown videos, it's a very unique style

*all of that*

I just remembered I never learned how to read! 😕 I did see TIKTOK in caps lock so I'll just go with that for now lol

[badrobot]

Apr 11, 2023 17:15:28 GMT -5 woods said:

Apr 11, 2023 12:48:02 GMT -5 badrobot said:

I advocate for making the Hot 100 a "minutes listened" chart. Remove sales entirely. Add the total audience impressions + total streams (and bring back UGC as part of the total streams so tiktok/reels/etc are included). The only "weighting" should just be by how many minutes a song was heard (so, for example, maybe 10-15 short clips on social media would end up being as much weight as one full listen of a song).

Then you'd just have one easily comparable number for each song. So, maybe "Flowers" was listened to for 500m minutes while another song had 459m minutes, etc. It would also make it far easier to compare each song's performance over time rather than using the abstract of "points" which are constantly recalibrated anyway.

Wouldn't radio make up most of the minutes listened though? #1 on radio has 105.8 million audience, #1 on Spotify has only 1.9 million streams.

Edit: 12.6* million for #1 on Spotify. I forgot that the radio figure reflects the last 7 days.

It's possible radio would end up having more weight. But, a few notes.

First, the top song on overall streaming is often in the 40m-ish range or higher, not 12.6m. And before they removed UGC from the Hot 100, top songs were getting streaming numbers similar to audience impressions, and I imagine it's possible those UGC numbers might even be higher now. To me that's pretty key to making this work -- bringing back in song usage on social media, which for many is a primary means of hearing songs.

I think you'd need to certainly test out what the numbers actually look like and see if it feels like an overly-radio-dependent chart, but my gut is that a more all-inclusive view on streaming would balance it out.

[85la]

Apr 11, 2023 16:32:22 GMT -5 kindofbiased said:

Billboard clearly can't make even the smallest changes without being accused of discriminating against BTS so I think they should just say f**k it and make big changes to their formula. If they're slowly & quietly changing the way they calculate sales to avoid outrage from stans it's obviously not working

Yeah, exactly. Probably why we're seeing such an extreme reaction this week is because Billboard caved in to them for far too long, they had them wrapped around their finger, and now when they're suddenly pulling the baby bottle away, all hell is breaking loose.

Apr 11, 2023 17:15:28 GMT -5 woods said:

Apr 11, 2023 12:48:02 GMT -5 badrobot said:

I advocate for making the Hot 100 a "minutes listened" chart. Remove sales entirely. Add the total audience impressions + total streams (and bring back UGC as part of the total streams so tiktok/reels/etc are included). The only "weighting" should just be by how many minutes a song was heard (so, for example, maybe 10-15 short clips on social media would end up being as much weight as one full listen of a song).

Then you'd just have one easily comparable number for each song. So, maybe "Flowers" was listened to for 500m minutes while another song had 459m minutes, etc. It would also make it far easier to compare each song's performance over time rather than using the abstract of "points" which are constantly recalibrated anyway.

Wouldn't radio make up most of the minutes listened though? #1 on radio has 105.8 million audience, #1 on Spotify has only 1.9 million streams.

Edit: 12.6* million for #1 on Spotify. I forgot that the radio figure reflects the last 7 days.

Well, Spotify is just one platform, but yes I think your main point still stands, and this would be the main problem with a strict "minutes listened" -based chart. It would probably heavily favor airplay, which I assume most people don't want.

(Edit: badrobot just reading your post above, some good points as well)

[JukeboxJacob]

Regarding a "minutes listened" Hot 100 - even if radio dominated, it would still be accurate

Also, there's nothing stopping Billboard from trying experimental formulas with a separate chart. They already have crap like the ""Hot Trending Songs""